During the ICC Cricket World Cup that was played Down Under, last year, Mohammed Shami was the pick of the Indian bowlers.
Shami's growth coincides with India's growth at CWC 2015.
Sri Lanka are never anybody's pre-tournament favourites but when the dust settles there they are.
The celebrations after the 2017 World Cup went on for the next few months. But there was one question that the Indian cricketers failed to respond to in their interviews. 'What was their next assignment?' Nobody knew; the players were waiting for the BCCI to tell them. The BCCI, with barely any time from its endless legal tangles, had nothing in mind immediately. The likes of Australia and England were back on the field, battling it out in the Ashes in front of sizeable crowds. But for Mithali Raj and team, there was no road ahead.
Ricky Ponting discusses Rohit Sharma's inability to dominate Test cricket like he does in ODIs, Virat Kohli's captaincy and the Australian team's poor showing in the Test series in Sri Lanka.
Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav's "mature performance" in the ongoing cricket World Cup, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar feels the duo are on the path to become "world-class" bowlers and have been the key to India's success in the tournament.
Rohit Sharma took his time joining the World Cup party but arrived in style on Thursday, rocking the Melbourne Cricket Ground with a match-winning century to sink Bangladesh and send reigning champions India charging into the semi-finals.
Martin Guptill on Saturday bludgeoned his way to the record books with the highest individual World Cup knock as New Zealand beat West Indies by 143 runs
For the Proteas, the emphasis is on all 15 players instead of 11.
AB de Villiers confirmed his status as the most destructive batsman in cricket with a magnificent unbeaten 162 from just 66 balls to lead South Africa to a record 257-run victory over West Indies in the World Cup on Friday.
Gavin Larsen says if he could rein in the batsmen of 1990s era even with his military medium pace it was because of his skipper Martin Crowe's tremendous leadership style and his faith in the bowlers.
'The way they are playing, the bowlers we have, this is the best team in the world and I see them winning the World Test Championship.'
Pakistan look to get their so far lacklustre World Cup campaign going with a win over Zimbabwe.
Ecstatic after clinching an unbeatable lead in the ongoing Test series against the West Indies, Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli said his team will now play with more 'positive intent' in the fourth and final Test starting August 18.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present the best performing players in IPL-11 in Rediff.com's Most Valuable Players ratings.
Former India batsman and Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir slammed the appointment of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan as the 'goodwill ambassador' for the Indian contingent for the Rio Olympic Games scheduled to be held in August. "Look I believe in that as well, especially if there are no shortage of real sportsmen in this country and people have done some massive things in this country. I am for the country as well, I am for Olympic sports. I would have been more happy if someone like Abhinav Bindra or someone (sportsperson) had been made the brand ambassador," Gambhir said in Mumbai on Monday, at the launch of Sansui's new Curve 4K Ultra HD LED TV series.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag offers a straight bat on the best batsmen in contemporary cricket, IPL team Kings XI Punjab, of which he is mentor, and why he is comfortable doing cricket commentary. Harish Kotian/Rediff.com listens in.
'It's like sometimes you go to a top restaurant and order a dish, the food quantity might be less, but if the quality and taste is good, then it leaves a mark forever.' 'As far as my career is concerned, I think I delivered quality.' 'I last played for India in 2006, but even today when people meet me they remember Kaif as the best fielder who could take some amazing catches, get run outs and save runs on the field.'
'To destroy an attack like that, the only person in my time that I would put him with is Sir Vivian, because Sir Vivian used to go out there and destroy attacks like that.'
'India have a good bunch of fast bowlers.' 'Umesh is doing really well and so are Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant.'
Ahead of the selectors' meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday, May 20, Harish Kotian picks the team he considers best to take on Bangladesh in the one-off Test in Fatullah from June 10 to 14.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni says he also feels the pressure like others but manages the rescue acts.
'I like to perform when there are challenges.' 'In cricket, when you get easy performances or easy wickets, then it's no fun.' 'But when you have to fight and perform in challenging conditions, then that feeling is something else.'
'This was Kohli's veneration for his master: The man who had inspired him to pick up a cricket bat in the first place, the man he had grown up watching. Just that now, he was exactly like him, or, dare it be suggested, maybe a shade better while chasing down daunting totals,' says Dhruv Munjal.
Chris Gayle rediscovered his mojo in spectacular fashion on Tuesday with the first ever World Cup double century to drive West Indies to a 73-run victory over Zimbabwe in their Pool B clash at Manuka Oval.
Virat Kohli has said that the greatest moment of his career so far is the Test series in Australia, which India lost 0-2, but not before giving a tough fight to the hosts.
He has impressed with his miserly bowling effort in the ongoing cricket World Cup.
A Ganesh Nadar and Saisuresh Sivaswamy, on the campaign trail with H Vasanthakumar, the Congress's businessman candidate in Tamil Nadu.
Virat Kohli's form may have taken a hit since dropping to number four in the batting order, but West Indian legend Sir Viv Richards feels the marauding cricketer should continue in the position if that is what the Indian team requires.
Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com salutes the new ICC World Cup champions.
Australia's retiring one-day captain Michael Clarke has urged his players to put 'skill over emotion'.
The same bowling which was India's weakest link coming into the World Cup has remarkably become their strongest suit as the reigning champions eased into the last four in impressive style.
The consistency of India's bowlers throughout the tournament disguised the team's batting problems till they were exposed in the semi-final against Australia.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has praised opener Shikhar Dhawan, saying he is not someone who gets satisfied with a half-century and is always hungry for big scores.
The World Cup will be the last assignment for Kumar Sangakkara in One-Day Internationals and the Sri Lankan left-hander has ensured he will sign off on a high, at least on the personal front.
Rediff.com recaptures these and other exciting sporting moments from the week gone by....
'The impact Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill, Shivam Mavi, Mayank Markande, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Washington Sundar had on the IPL not only won hearts, but also the approval of the selectors,' says Ayaz Memon.
'I don't want it to be a batting affair otherwise you could just walk in with the umpire, with the bowling machine, put your hat on the bowling machine, walk away.' Brett Lee tells Harish Kotian on how Twenty20 cricket has changed the dynamics of cricket and why a bit of controlled aggression is needed in the sport.
Be it the Dilscoop, which Dilshan uses to perfection or Dhoni's Helicopter Shot, cricket's shortest format has seen batsmen try new things.
'It has been a quick evolution.' 'That is because he saw the big names playing in the IPL and he played alongside them; that transformed him as a batsman.' 'I would say now he is perfect.'
